apocalyptic as political strategy vs. derived from a static understanding of economics

In this op-ed, Rich Lowry says UBI is "a foolish solution to a non-problem". I'd say it's a good solution to other problems. (Here's my essay on Charles Murray's version of UBI.) But I agree with Lowry's assessment of Yang's apocalyptic on automation.

The cynic in me recognizes that apocalyptic is a common tactic to motivate various forms of govt activism and statism. As examples, note how much the govt enjoys war and likes to label its actions "the war on..."

But I think this and much else on the Left is driven by another root problem: a static understanding of the economy. One sees the same thing, in spades, on the Left with environmental concerns about resource depletion and population control. If you can't imagine how the market will adapt (or more ironically, "evolve"), then you will necessarily worry/panic over the costs of its evolution.